Armed for flexibility: A futuristic store in Japan

18 : 11 : 2013 Visual Merchandising : Band Of Outsiders : Flexi-simplicity

Tokyo – Los Angeles-based clothing label Band of Outsiders has opened its first store, but rather than opening in its home town, it chose Tokyo. While the Band of Outsiders aesthetic is classic American prep with a Los Angeles downtown twist, the store interiors are based in the future rather than the present.

Central to the store is a large steel structure nicknamed The Monster, which has 28 arms that support every fixture in the shop, including the fitting rooms, the mannequins, display cases and the till. The arms can rotate, so the fixtures are never truly fixed, giving the store layout endless possibilities.

‘The best part of The Monster is that it’s like it’s alive,’ says the brand. ‘The arms all move around concentric tracks, which means we can change the store layout whenever we feel like it.’

Brands are taking a more flexible approach to visual merchandising, creating minimalist, functional structures that can be re-assembled easily. For more, read our Flexi Simplicity design direction.

Discover More Daily Signals
The Trend: Human by Design

Daily Signals

The Trend: Human by Design

LS:N Global’s coverage of design in 2025 explored humanising design and branding in the age of elasticity.
Design : Creativity : Branding
The Big Idea: Branding in the Age of Elasticity

Daily Signals

The Big Idea: Branding in the Age of Elasticity

LS:N Global’s coverage of design in 2025 explored humanising design and branding in the age of elasticity.
Design
The Campaign: New Forest’s rebranding turns tourists into custodians

Daily Signals

The Campaign: New Forest’s rebranding turns tourists into custodians

LS:N Global’s coverage of design in 2025 explored humanising design and branding in the age of elasticity. 
Design
The Viewpoint: Rehumanising 3D Design

Daily Signals

The Viewpoint: Rehumanising 3D Design

LS:N Global’s coverage of design in 2025 explored humanising design and branding in the age of elasticity. 
Design
The Space: Glossier unveils immersive experience for Fleur fragrance launch in Paris

Daily Signals

The Space: Glossier unveils immersive experience for Fleur fragrance launch in Paris

LS:N Global’s coverage of design in 2025 explored humanising design and branding in the age of elasticity.
Design
The Trend: The Great Beauty Blur

Daily Signals

The Trend: The Great Beauty Blur

2025 marks a critical inflection point for beauty. The sector, once defined by diversity and creativity, has grown increasingly monotonous, as glob...
Beauty : Wellness : Identity
The Big Idea: Neo-community Market

Daily Signals

The Big Idea: Neo-community Market

Brands are redefining engagement by transforming followers into communities where belonging is the ultimate currency.
Beauty : Engagement : Community
The Campaign: The Ordinary exposes beauty industry buzzwords in dystopian new video

Daily Signals

The Campaign: The Ordinary exposes beauty industry buzzwords in dystopian new video

In a provocative campaign in October 2025, skincare brand The Ordinary called out the beauty industry’s reliance on pseudo-scientific language.
Beauty : Skincare : Cosmetics
The Viewpoint: Reframing Ageing

Daily Signals

The Viewpoint: Reframing Ageing

Jacynth Bassett, founder and CEO of Ageism Is Never In Style, is reshaping the conversation around ageing, positioning it as a privilege rather tha...
Beauty : Marketing : Ageing
The Space: Koyia perfumery asks customers to pay with time rather than money

Daily Signals

The Space: Koyia perfumery asks customers to pay with time rather than money

In September 2025, Swedish fragrance brand Koyia introduced a forest-based retail concept where the only currency is time.
Beauty : Retail : Fragrance
You have 1 free News articles remaining. Sign up to LS:N Global to get unlimited access to all articles.
BECOME A MEMBER
SIGN IN